416 ALEXANDRIA TO COS. 
CHAP, situation. The old Ragusan, when we came on 
board, was very angry with his men ; and said 
he had been watching the boat with his glass, 
expecting every moment to see her meet the 
same fate which the djerm had experienced. 
Upon the nineteenth, we had better success, 
being enabled to reach the English transport 
ships, and to take leave of several of our friends. 
We also purchased provisions for our voyage ; 
a little biscuit, some Adriannple tongues, and 
some English porter : all these were consumed 
by the Turks, nearly as soon as they were 
taken on board the frigate in which we were to 
sail. The porter had been sent as an adventure 
from Malta, and was sold in bottles, at the rate 
of thirty shillings per dozen. Many of the Turks 
are fond of it ; because they may drink it with- 
out violating the prohibitory laws of the Koran 
respecting wine. Potatoes, the best 'of all pro- 
visions for a sea voyage, could not be had ; rice 
was very scarce ; and tea was not to be pur- 
chased. Encouraged, however, by the splendid 
promises of the Cajmdan Pasha, who had been 
so liberal to us upon a former occasion', we 
bestowed very little thought upon our means of 
(1) See Vol. III. Chap. III. p. 30. Odaioedit. 
